International Customs & Duties
We ship all orders from our beautiful studio in Porto, Portugal. Here's an at-a-glance explanation of VAT, customs, and duties processing.
Do I need to pay customs, taxes, or duties on my order?
If you're ordering from outside the European Union, your local government may charge customs fees, import duties (tariffs), or VAT/GST. These charges are set by your country.
What are Tariffs and De Minimis?
A tariff is a tax on goods imported from one country into another; tariffs can be broad or may apply only to specific categories or types of items. Typically, tariffs are a set percentage of the total item value. In many cases, tariffs do not apply to items below an established value threshold; this is called a de minimis exemption.
De minimis exemptions allow shipments under a certain value to enter a country without incurring customs duties or tariffs. These exemptions are put in place to simplify the trade process and reduce administrative burden. De minimis thresholds vary from country to country.
For the USA, the De minimis exemption applies to all orders under $800, but from Aug 29th onwards, this exemption will be removed for all global imports into the US, which means that all orders will likely be subject to tariffs.
How are tariffs collected?
When shipping international orders, the method of tariff and duty collection varies depending on the market and the chosen shipping carrier.
When using a postal carrier (like USPS, Royal Mail, Canada Post, etc.) or some commercial carriers, the transaction is on a Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU) basis. This means that the buyer is responsible for paying tariffs, import duties, taxes (like VAT/GST), and any associated handling fees to the final shipping carrier or customs authority when their items are delivered or before they can be released from customs.
Some commercial carriers (such as UPS, FedEx or DHL) offer more integrated solutions for managing these costs upfront: Tariff-Inclusive Pricing (DDP - Delivered Duty Paid Model). It is possible to calculate and include the full cost of tariffs, duties, taxes, and other import fees upfront, at the moment of the online purchase.
Who pays all these fees?
In short: you, but we'll cover them for you in some situations! We are still navigating these recent changes, so please bear in mind that our position will evolve in the future.
See below what is the scenario for each country. Our goal is to offer you the best shopping experience, and whenever is possible, we will be offering DDP prices for you.
Why do I have to pay these fees?
Tariffs are a common tool used to shape global trade, protect domestic industries or generate government revenue. There are many tariffs in place around the world and each country has has its own rules for importing goods.
What happens if I don’t pay them?
If you choose not to pay the customs fees, your order will likely be returned to us. In that case, you’ll be refunded for the item(s) minus the initial shipping cost, as well as the return and handling costs.
Please note: usually the handling costs are very high. If the cost of managing this process is higher than the cost of the order, the package will be considered lost and we won't be able to refund you any value.
Any tips before ordering internationally?
Absolutely:
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Estimate potential fees
Contact your local customs authority to get an idea of any import charges. -
Split costs with friends :)
Combine orders to share shipping fees and customs duties. -
Track your shipment closely
Monitor your tracking number for status updates or customs alerts. -
Acknowledge import responsibilities
By purchasing from Unwind Studio, you accept liability for any duties and taxes that apply.